I need help catching halibut

Hey guys, over the last past years I've haven't really caught a decent size halibut, Ive tried live bait, big hammers, fools bait, and more its just Ive tried so much but I can never get one, I mean i love catching sandys, spotties, and more its just I really want to get one bad! Plz comment all your tips and links to help me catch a pancake!

Tight lines

Fish a drop shot with gulp 14" from weight. Drag the rig and work the lure with your line. Try not to pull the weight of the bottom. Big smelt for bait with a trap rig is also very productive. Fish the channel edges and sand flats. Jetty corners and sloughs are always a good bet. Fish 2 rods. Think toad. Carry a gaff as a lucky charm. And release your next fish. Fish gods will smile. Good look man.

Oh and if there is a grunion run go collect some and freeze them for dead bait. Candy.

Wish i could help...i need to catch me a legal too.....only legal ive caught was off the surf at bolsa chica beach...bout 28 incher or so weighed 7 lbs.....caught it on a lucky craft lure 110

I like using green colored baits for the most part when I target halibut. 5" sexy smelt is my favorite on a 1/2 oz lead head. Bounce it along the bottom, pause, some erratic movements with the rod tip and work the channel edges or sandy bottoms.  Keep working the area keeping your casts about 5-10' apart until you completely cover an area.  Also, MC makes those big 5" curly tail baits, caught my PB halibut on that one so far, green colored, of course. Most of my legal halibuts have almost all been on green baits.

Pdawg wrote:Fish a drop shot with gulp 14" from weight. Drag the rig and work the lure with your line. Try not to pull the weight of the bottom. Big smelt for bait with a trap rig is also very productive. Fish the channel edges and sand flats. Jetty corners and sloughs are always a good bet. Fish 2 rods. Think toad. Carry a gaff as a lucky charm. And release your next fish. Fish gods will smile. Good look man.

Oh and if there is a grunion run go collect some and freeze them for dead bait. Candy.

Thank you very much bro, I'm gonna have to try this now.

wiseguy wrote:I like using green colored baits for the most part when I target halibut. 5" sexy smelt is my favorite on a 1/2 oz lead head. Bounce it along the bottom, pause, some erratic movements with the rod tip and work the channel edges or sandy bottoms.  Keep working the area keeping your casts about 5-10' apart until you completely cover an area.  Also, MC makes those big 5" curly tail baits, caught my PB halibut on that one so far, green colored, of course.  Most of my legal halibuts have almost all been on green baits.

Thanks for the info, now its time for me and my buddies to get one.

Yeah Danny, we need to get some this summer. Last summer we got a ton of shorts even up to 18". I have some bass assasin baits and some 5"-6" white curl tail grubs. Will those work? We also have gulp sandworms. Will those work?

the3hermanos wrote:Yeah Danny, we need to get some this summer. Last summer we got a ton of shorts even up to 18". I have some bass assasin baits and some 5"-6" white curl tail grubs. Will those work? We also have gulp sandworms. Will those work?

Ive caught halibut on the gulp sandworm the redbloodworm no legals but plenty of shorties....

Depends on if you want to use lures or live bait. I've caught lots of legal Hail's on both but I always prefer live bait when I target them specifically. One big factor I did not see mentioned is location. Some places are just a lot better than others. My favorites for Halibut include certain portions of the LAB, Cabrillo, an Diego Bay Mission Bay and King Harbor. But here are a few tips to increase your odds.

#1 Fish during Grunion runs. ( The runs bring the Halibut closer to shore and put them in a major feeding mood.
#2 Pick good tidal movements. and fish your baits into the current.( the way the fish will probably be facing )
#3 Set up a good drift at the right speed.
#4 Select soft bottom areas near to some sort of structure. Halibut will lay and wait for prey in areas adjacent to places that ill hold bait.
#5 Don't be scared to use BIG BAITS. A thing I see a lot from too many anglers is they are just not throwing baits that's are big enough. Take a lesson from the freshwater swimbait throwers. I catch 12" spotties on 9" swimbaits and they have the bait all the way down their throat. I will fish a 1# mackerel for Halibut any day of the week.
#6 Once you hook one Halibut stay in that area and take note of the depth you were fishing in.
#7 Drag A-Rigs along the bottom....

1lb Mac yeeeeewwww trophy hunt! I like it.

Macks, lizard fish, brown bait, the bigger the better...

Kittens bra

All this fish chit chat is making crave some Bendo. Gonna fish later.

find a nice sandy bottom that leads up to structure like grass or rocks like said before drag a drop shot and also drag a bait on the lead head. and just comb the sand back and forth cover as much ground as possible